G.A.B.O.S. (Original Version)

Chapter XXXII

"You look nervous. Take a deep breath and relax. You have nothing to worry about. Not today. Today is supposed to be stress-free. Everything will run smoothly, I promise."

Lynise tore her eyes away from her thirteen thousand-dollar Carolina Herrera wedding gown and turned toward her older sisters. "I can't help but be nervous. I'm getting married in less than an hour. Weren't you two nervous on your wedding days?"

"No," Gwyneth answered. At thirty-four, she was the oldest of the trio. "I couldn't wait to exchange vows with Patrick. I didn't let little things get to me on my special day, and you shouldn't either. Today is all about you, Lynise. You look beautiful, and there's a very lucky man out there who's more than ready to make you his wife. Nothing else matters but you and him."

Whitney, the middle child, adjusted Lynise's bun and nodded in agreement. "There are over a hundred people here to see you become a married woman. I've been waiting years to see my baby sister settle down. Come hell or high water, you're walking down that aisle, sis." She smiled. "And you do look beautiful. I saw Julian in his tux earlier, too. If you're feeling nervous about marrying him, I'm sure any woman in attendance would happily take your place."

Gwyneth grabbed Lynise's hand and pulled her over to a chair. "I'm just happy that you're marrying Julian. I was worried that you'd marry that Jamal guy. I love my nephews like I love my own children, but I hate that they were a product of what was possibly the lowest point of your life."

"Gwyn!" Whitney exclaimed, her eyes widening at her sister's words.

"Am I wrong? Surely, you can acknowledge the fact that Lynise could always do better than a drug-dealing hoodlum such as Ja'Quan. She's a gorgeous, college-educated woman who grew up with money. That relationship never should have happened."

"She loved Tremaine at one point. You didn't have to say that. Some thoughts are best left unspoken."

"No, Whitney, she's right. Tremaine was never right for me. I was stupid," Lynise admitted. "He isn't the person I thought he was. It took a lot for me to see that, but I'm happy I figured it out before I let him ruin my relationship with a good man." She looked at Gwyneth. "Still, not all of us can be a golden child. I'm sorry that I didn't marry my high school sweetheart and get the multimillion-dollar salary and mansion in Beverly Hills. Some people learn through trial and error." Lynise rose from her chair and walked to the other side of the room.

Whitney looked at Gwyneth and shook her head. "See? Now you've upset her." She ran over to Lynise and pulled her into a hug. "I'm sure she didn't mean it that way, Lynise. Gwyn is just being her usual uppity self. She wasn't trying to offend you."

Disregarding the 'uppity' remark, Gwyneth joined her sisters. "I really wasn't trying to upset you, Lynise. I didn't realize I'd hurt your feelings. It's just hard for me to watch my sisters make mistakes that I can't relate to. While I did end up with my high school sweetheart, a big house, and a well-paying job, I don't think that I'm any better than you and Whitney. And I'm far from a golden child. There are a lot of things that Mom and Dad agreed that you two should never know about me."

Lynise found her way into Gwyneth's arms and sighed. "I know you weren't implying that you were better than me. I'm sorry for overreacting. I guess I was just upset by the fact that you were right. You warned me about Tremaine a million times. I should have listened to you."

Gwyneth returned Lynise's hug. "That's in the past. You're marrying a great man. That's all I want you to think about today. Just... please don't revert back to your old ways. You may have been able to get away with sleeping with someone else while you were engaged, but don't risk ruining your marriage. It's hard to find a good man, and you managed to do it. Don't mess that up, Lynise."